Abstract 2772: The development of immunotherapy agents from the indigenous herbal plants and microbes used by the tantric practitioner of Vedic Jiva Upakara Cikitsha Tantra (Vedic altruism-based medicine system) of Assam, India
Authors: Lekhika Pathak, Tutumoni Baishya, Partha Saikia, Nihar Ranjan Das, Sailen Baishya, Rupam Das, Pragya Dutta, Chayanika Das, Mallika Maral, Gakul Das, Bikul Das
Journal: Cancer Research (2023)

Abstract The ancient India's indigenous tantric community had its unique medicinal philosophy as well as clinical practice, distinct from Ayurveda. One such tantric community was Assam's Vedic Jiva Upakarvada practitioners (1). These practitioners developed an unique health care practice in the silk village of Sualkuchi, and the adjoining area, a part of the Vedic Silk Road (the North-South Silk Road stretching from Tibet to South East Asia via India's Assam state). We have been systematically studying the medical practice of these healing practitioners for the last two decades (1). These practitioners used more than 36 different plant-derived products, as well as soil, plus fecal and urine products rich in diverse microbial communities. They postulated that these agents contain good nigudah (1), microscopic life forms that can activate Avatar Kosha in our body (1). Using our pre-clinical in vitro as well as mouse model of cancer stem cells (2-4), we have screened 12 out of 36 plants, as well as microbial-rich soil of a sacred hill area frequented by tantric practitioners to collect herbal plants, animal feces and soils (the Suad muni ashram area of Sualkuchi). Here we report our preliminary results of the screening of these ingredients for their potential immunotherapy uses. Method: These herbal plants/soils/animal feces items were dissolved in the RPMI culture media using a traditional method using water, as well as special plant-derived juices. The conditioned RPMI culture media was then used to culture CSCs of tumor stemness defense (TSD) phenotype (2). Results: Our preliminary results show that while some of the agents induce apoptosis of TSD, other agents are capable of inducing TSD phenotypes to CSCs of diverse tumors including oral cancer (SCC-25 cell line), breast cancer (MCF-7) and colon cancer cell line (LOVO). Conclusion: The traditional healer used products may have unique anti-cancer including immuno-activating properties that need further exploration. We are now using our mouse models to find out if some of these agents including unique microbes present in these agents may transform cold tumors into hot or immunogenic tumors. 1. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.14.382572v1.full.pdf 2.PMID: 36248858 3. PMID: 28884113. 3. PMID: 31387932. 4. PMID: 31266772 Citation Format: Lekhika Pathak, Tutumoni Baishya, Partha Saikia, Nihar Ranjan Das, Sailen Baishya, Rupam Das, Pragya Dutta, Chayanika Das, Mallika Maral, Gakul Das, Bikul Das. The development of immunotherapy agents from the indigenous herbal plants and microbes used by the tantric practitioner of Vedic Jiva Upakara Cikitsha Tantra (Vedic altruism-based medicine system) of Assam, India [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2772.